My Prince of Tennis has a high proficiency level.

For Yamabuki, this practice match would serve as a training opportunity, and he would also receive an appearance fee, so why not?

For Kakiki, who harbors great ambitions, Yamabuki was merely their first practice target. Later, they would invite Rokkaku from Chiba and Rikkai University from Kanagawa for exchanges.

Kaki plans to gain experience through training at these schools in preparation for the national competition next year.

As for Hyotei and Seigaku.

The former had abundant financial resources, and the team's leader, Atobe, was arrogant, so he didn't give Kakiki any chance to launch an offensive.

As for the latter, that's Kakiki's nemesis. Coach Kakiki's idea is simple: secretly develop their strength and then surprise Seigaku in next year's regional qualifiers.

"Let's get started."

After a brief exchange, Bantian glanced at the time and said, "Try to finish before noon. The sun is too strong, and the children won't be able to stand it."

"Okay, let's begin."

The coach from Kakimoto Junior High School nodded.

Then.

Both sides fielded their doubles team 2 according to the pre-arranged rosters. After a brief exchange, the match officially began.

As the face of Yamabuki, their doubles pair consisted of Minami and Touhou, who had begun to shine since the start of this year's Metropolitan Tournament. Their excellent teamwork earned them the nickname "Potato Army."

Although the nickname originated as a joke about their appearance, they proved themselves right with their victories. Now, in the Tokyo area, they are quietly earning the title of the best doubles team among second-year junior high school students.

On the other hand, Kakiki also sent out the team's elite players.

After all, Kakiki's goal in this practice match was to hone his doubles skills and gain experience. However, even with their best efforts, they only managed to win one game against Minami and Higashikata.

Bang!

In less than 20 minutes.

The game ended with Nan's final, sharp smash hitting the baseline area.

"The match is over."

"Kentaro Yamabuki and Masami Higashikata win, score 6-1!"

"That strong?"

Kuki, who had been standing outside the stadium with his arms crossed, was startled.

He originally thought that no matter how strong Yamabuki's doubles team was, the odds would be at most 40/60. But he never expected that his team would suffer such a crushing defeat.

And this is only Yamabuki's doubles 2.

As expected, Kaki will lose both doubles matches in this practice game. This will put pressure on the singles side, especially on Kuki Kiichi, the third singles player.

"Sengoku Kiyosumi".

However, his gaze swept over the Yamabuki group, finally settling on the orange-haired boy among them: "My opponent had better be you, otherwise, hmph..."

Thinking of this, a confident smile appeared on Kuki's face.

Chapter 30 An Encounter

"This Shimu Middle School is indeed very rich."

After watching the Doubles 2 match, Shibukawa, standing on Yamabuki's side, thought to himself.

In the original work, the people of Kakigi have a mysterious self-confidence. Even the then-department head, Kuki Kiichi, dared to directly attack Tezuka in order to test his reaction.

However, it became a stepping stone for the dark horse, Bu Dongfeng.

Kuki was simply a roadside creature, easily dealt with by Shinji Ibu.

However, Kakigi has indeed played practice matches against top-tier teams like Rikkai, who have won two consecutive championships. Inviting Yamabuki to play now shows that Kakigi's coach is quite ambitious.

"Unfortunately, tennis in this world isn't something that money can solve."

Shibukawa shook his head. Even with the immense financial resources of someone like Atobe, Hyotei hadn't won the championship. And judging from Kakiki's performance, their plans were likely doomed to fail.

But this has nothing to do with Sichuan.

Seeing two senior Yamabuki doubles players take to the court, he picked up his racket and walked off the court on his own.

He came with the team today, and in addition to dealing with the singles 3 position in practice matches, he also has to complete his daily training.

Judging from the performance of Yamabuki and Kakigi in doubles match 2, Shibukawa estimates that doubles match 1 will end in as little as 20 minutes. For him, this will also be a good time to warm up and activate his body.

Tatata! ! !

Just as he left the competition venue and entered the asphalt road area, a group of runners appeared in his direction.

These people, dressed in various colored coats, appeared to be around 15 years old. They moved in unison, and apart from a thin layer of sweat on their faces, they showed no emotional change.

Who are these people...?

Shechuan frowned slightly.

In his view, these people were no ordinary players; they were probably elite players trained by the Youth Stadium Club. After all, ordinary beginners didn't possess this kind of pressure and aura.

However, judging from their ages, they are all at least from Uesugi's generation. Also, none of the U17 members that Shibukawa remembered are among them.

Of course, the U17 team has around 250 players. Most of the high school substitutes from the original story never actually appeared.

These people in front of us might very well join that training base someday.

"Ok?"

Just as Shibukawa was about to leave, his gaze fell on the last person in the group, a boy wearing a white and purple striped short-sleeved shirt.

The man was tall and handsome, with striking features. His willow-leaf eyebrows resembled two sharp blades, giving him a sharp and ruthless look rather than any feminine grace. Paired with oval glasses perched on his nose, he had an expressionless face and an imposing aura that commanded respect without anger.

"It's him?"

"Tezuka Kunimitsu?!"

Upon seeing that iconic, icy face, Shibukawa's eyes widened in surprise.

Kunimitsu Tezuka.

The captain of the tennis club at Seishun Academy, the school where the protagonist of the original work is located, is incredibly strong and has top-notch talent. Even though his left hand was injured in an accident and he was sidelined for a while, he is still a top-tier player among junior high school students.

In this year's Tokyo tournament, Yamabuki won two doubles matches against Seigaku and seemed poised to take the game in one fell swoop. However, Sengoku, who was scheduled to play singles match 3, was ruthlessly crushed by his opponent.

The one who crushed him was none other than Tezuka right in front of him.

If such a person were placed in Yamabuki, Shibukawa believed that Sengoku would absolutely not dare to act recklessly. Given Tezuka's personality, he could definitely keep that guy under his thumb.

"Unfortunately, someone like that could never join Yamabuki."

Shibukawa shook his head and turned to leave.

Given Tezuka's personality, unless someone actually uses a cheat code like a mind-control modifier, it's impossible for him to be transferred to another school.

"Ok?"

Just after Shibukawa left, Tezuka, who was at the back of the crowd, seemed to sense something and looked in his direction. But he only saw a figure that disappeared in an instant.

"Who is that person?"

Tezuka frowned slightly; he had just had a feeling of being watched. However, being a calm person, he didn't dwell on his suspicions and continued to follow the group.

Just as Shibukawa guessed.

Tezuka started playing tennis at around age 8 and was recognized by his coach for his exceptional talent. He was consistently the best player among his peers in the club, always ranking first in both training and matches.

At the age of 9, he was already able to compete with junior high school students.

By the age of 10, Tezuka's tennis skills were already so good that junior high school students were ashamed of themselves; no one could rival him.

At the age of 11, Tezuka broke history by becoming the youngest elite player in the Seishundai club and was highly regarded by the outside world.

Just when everyone thought he was about to soar to great heights, 12-year-old Tezuka suddenly fell silent. The once cheerful boy became like a taciturn gourd and grew increasingly indifferent.

Even now, Tezuka, who is not yet 14 years old, is already the top player in the club's junior group. But he remains humble, and even with the attention of professional players, he remains neither arrogant nor humble, and continues to practice steadily and diligently.

even so.

Those who know him well understand that Tezuka will inevitably pursue a professional career in the future. And with his talent, he will surely become a household name.

"Warm-up complete."

The group ran all the way to the finish line halfway up the mountain. The middle-aged man with black hair, who was standing in the field, stopped his watch and said, "It's free practice today, everyone can go home."

After saying that, he turned and left, walking towards a certain sports field.

No one was surprised; they didn't have a fixed coach. And each coach had a different personality, so unless it was a truly VIP one-on-one session, most coaches had this attitude.

But they weren't angry. At their stage, there wasn't much more a coach could teach them. Senior coaches cost more money; of course, there were free ones, but the place in the rumors didn't have any selection process—they just issued a list and recruited directly.

Moreover, most people present treated tennis as a hobby, with only a few aiming to make it a career.

therefore.

After the coach left, everyone dispersed. Some rested, some continued training, and some discussed the coach in private.

"What's wrong with Coach Araki today? If it's free practice, he'll probably get a complaint, right?"

"He only lost a small amount of money after the complaint. I heard he took on a side job, coaching players for other people."

"One-on-one?"

"No, it seems like I took on the role of consultant for a middle school team, helping to lead the team. By the way, if I remember correctly, those middle school students were playing on Field 3."

"Tsk tsk, they're really rich. They're even bringing middle schoolers' practice matches to the club."

"Could this be the work of Hyotei?"

Hyotei?

Hearing their discussion, Tezuka, who was just about to find a place to practice, had a sudden thought.

This year, Seigaku lost to Hyotei again in the Tokyo tournament. Although they won one game, the overall strength gap between the two teams was still too large.

"If it's Hyotei, who are their opponents?"

Tezuka thought to himself.

Given Hyotei's style, any team that they'd pay to bring here to compete must be no ordinary team.

"Could it be...?"

Tezuka couldn't help but think of that team in Kanagawa: "Is it them?"

Chapter 31 Singles 3, Confident Kuki

Bang!

Inside Stadium No. 3.

Just as the members of the Youth Club rushed over to see which two teams were playing, they witnessed a beautiful game-winning shot land.

"The match is over."

From his high chair, the referee, dressed in a black jacket, announced loudly: "The Yamabuki Fujihira Asahi and Harano Takeshi duo win! Score 6-1!"

"it's over?"

The newcomers were somewhat surprised.

Looking at the two teams on the court, it was neither Hyotei nor any team they recognized.

"Kakaki...and Yamabuki?"

Tezuka, who was mixed in with the crowd, recognized the two district teams at a glance.

Needless to say, persimmon wood.

They belong to the same regional qualifier as Seigaku, and have consistently ranked second, regarding Seigaku as their arch-rival.

Yamabuki is also Seigaku's opponent this year. In Tezuka's memory, this team's doubles is very strong, and they almost prevented Seigaku from advancing to the finals of the Metropolitan Tournament.

"Tsk tsk, this school in persimmon wood has lost two games in a row."

After seeing the score, someone laughed and said, "It looks like it's still Coach Araki who's in charge of the team."

really.

Everyone looked closely and saw their coach standing behind the group from Shimu Middle School.